OREM — A former university president, a school district superintendent and the head of the student association formally took their place on Utah Valley University's board of trustees Thursday.
The three — Paul H. Thompson, former Weber State University president; Rob Smith, president of the UVU Student Association; and Richard C. Nielsen, superintendent of the Nebo School District — were appointed by Gov. Gary Herbert and confirmed by the Utah Senate.
Thompson, who lives in Orem, served as president of WSU from 1990 to 2002. He received a doctorate in business administration from Harvard University in 1969 and served as an assistant professor at Harvard Business School from 1969 to 1973. He began work at BYU in 1973, serving there as professor of organizational behavior, chairman of the Department of Organizational Behavior, dean of the Marriott School of Management, and vice president of development and university relations.
Rob Smith, of Orem, is entering his senior year at UVU, studying political science and American government. He has served as a presidential intern at UVU and received an associate degree in history and political science from UVU in 2016. He has also been an assistant basketball coach at Mountain View High School
Nielsen, of Spanish Fork, has served as superintendent of the Nebo district since 2010. Before that, he served as the district’s assistant superintendent and elementary director. He has also been the principal at Rees Elementary, Art City Elementary and Westside Elementary.